Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-03
CHAPTER XIV.


The important domestic events described
in the last chapter took place on Dec. Z, 1880,
and for the next twelve days or so every
thing went as happily at Moofontein as
things should go under the circumstances.
Every day Slas Croft beamed with more
enlarged geniality in his satisfaction at the
turn things had taken, and every day John
found cause to congratulate himself more
and more on the issue Of his bold vel! u:5 to-
ward matrimOny. Now that he cairo to be
on such intimate terms with his hetrO1lCd, he
perceived a hundred charms and graceS in
her character which he had never suspected
before Bessie was like a flower; the more
she basked in the light and warmth of her
love the more her character opened and I'M
folded, shedding perfuned sweetness round
her and revealing ungllcssed charms. 1t is so
with all women, and more especially with a
woman OF her stamp, whom nature has
made to love and be loved as maid
and wife and mother Her undoubted
personal beauty also shared in this
development, her fair face taking richer
hue and her eyes an added depth and mean
ing. She was in every respect, save one, all
that Gun could desire in his vile, and even
the exception was one that would have stood
to her credit with most men. 1t was this.
she certainly possessed more than the ordi-
nary share of intelligence and work day
common sense. Now John was decidedly
intellectual man, and, what is more, he highly
appreciated that rare quality in the other
sex. But, after ALL when one is just engaged
to a sweet and lovely woman, one does not
think much about her intellect Those sort
of reflections come afterward Il
And so they sauntered hand in hand
through Hle sunny days and We're exceedingly
happy. Least or all did they allow the ru-
mors which occasionally reached them from
the great Boer gathering at Paarde kraal to
disturb their serenity. There had been SO
many of these rumors of rebellion that folk
were getting to regard them as a chronic
state of affairs.
"Oh, the Boersl" said Bessie, with a pretty
toss of her golden head, as they We're sitting
one morning on the veranda. I'm sick to
death of hearing about the Beers and all their
got up talk. l know what it is; it is lust an
excuse for them to go away from their farms
and wives and children and idle about at
these great meetings and drink square face
with their mouths fGI Of big words. You
see what jess says in her last lc.te" People
in Pretoria believe that it is al nonsense from
beginning to end, and l think they are per-
fectly right
'By tho way, Bcsso, asked john, "have
you written to jess telling her Of our engage
rnentf
"Oh, yes | wrote some days ago, but the
letter only went yesterday She will be +
pleased to hear about it. Dear old jess, l .
wonder when she means to come home again. |
She has been away long enough"
John made no answer, but went on smoking
his pipe in silence, wondering if jess would
be pleased. He did not understand her YET.
She had gone away just as he was beginning
to understand her.
Presently he observed Jantje sneaking
about between the orange trees as though he
wished TO call attention to himself. Had he
not wanted to do so he would have moved
from one TO the other in such a way that
nobody could have seen him. His partial and
desultory appearances indicated that he was
on view
"Come out of those trees, you little rascal,
and stop Slipping about like snake in a stone